Improvement in apparatus for heating and lighting locomotives and railroad cars



JOSEPH H. CONNELLY.

Improvement in Apparatus for Heating and Lighting Locomotives andRailroad Cars by Gas.

No.-1 .5,()27. PatentedMay 23,1871.

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AM. PHOTO 417/105 Hm co. M Y. (osaomvzs P/eocEssJ UNITED STATES PATENTQFFICE.

JOSEPH H. OONNELLY, OF WHEELING, TVEST VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND LIGHTING LOCOMOTIVES ANDRAILROAD CARS BY GAS.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 115,027, dated May23, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. (JoNNELLY, of Wheeling, in the county ofOhio and the State of West Virginia, have invented certain Improvementsin Gas-Producers, and the Manner of Preparing and Applying the GasGenerated therein to Heat Locomotive-Boilers and the (Jars of Trainsthereto attached, and. also to Illuminate the latter, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference-being had to the accompanyingdrawing and the letters of reference inarked thereon.

My invention relates, first, to the construction of'a gas producer orretort, as hereinafter described, for generating a composition gas fromcoal or other similar matter by heat; second, to the preparation of thisgas for and K the after application of it to heat locomotiveboilers andthe cars of a train thereto attached, and also to illuminate the latter,as hereinafter described.

In the drawing, No. 1 shows the manner of applying the gas-producer to acar, and also the means by which the gas is applied to the purposesherein set forth. No. 2 is a vertical section of a locomotive-stack witha damper on top, and the steam and heat dischargepipe leading from it tothe train of cars. N os.3 and 4 show the manner of heating cars, ashereinafter described. N o. 5 is an inside top view of the gas produceror retort. No. 7 is a vertical section of the same. No. 6 is a sectionof my improved flexible coupling for hot gas, air, or steam pipes.

I will now describe in detail the manner of constructing and using myinvention.

The leading idea in the construction of my gas producer or retort is tohave it entirely, or as much so as practicable, surrounded by awater-chamber, and this whether the producer is of one or moregas-generating chambers.

H in No. l is a side view of the producer considered as separate fromthe carwhich may be made rectangular or round, and of iron or any othersuitable material. In No. 5 one of three chambers is shown, marked Y,respectively, each one being mostly surrounded by the water-chamber orchambers W. V represents the feed-hopper to each chamber, which is onthe top and opened and closed by by a valve and lever connectedtherewith. U,

three inches on the grate-bars. The coal must be supplied as often as isnecessary to keep the above amount on the bars.

Having described the construction anduse of the producer or retort, Iwill now describe its application to heat locomotive-boilers and carsfrom the gas made therein. H in No. 1

shows it as built with or attached to a tenderto be carried with thelocomotive or train, or with both. D is a pipe through which the gas isconveyed to the boiler on the locomotive, where it is consumed in thefire-chamber as it emerges from a series of tubes, these tubes beingalternative with a series of air-pipes, the object of which is to allowthe gas to commingle with air before or at the time of burning. When thetire chamber B and water in the boiler have become thoroughly heated thevalve m on top of stack in No.2 is shut down, and the waste heat passesoff, with the steam and draft, through the pipe F, to heat the cars ofthe train, as hereinafter described. The pipe F, after leaving the stackN, and before or at the place of its connection with the car, is dividedinto two branches, which are carried the full length and attached toeither side of the bottom of the car; or the pipe F may, without saidbranches, be carried the full length of the car along the center of thebottom, and from it or the branches the heat and steam passing throughit or them are carried into registers under the seats of the car, orelsewhere, by small pipes connecting the two, all of which is shown inNos. 3 and 4.

The force of the steam and the draft created in the locomotive-stackWill not only draw the gas oft from the producer, but will also force itthrough the pipe the full length of a train to heat the cars, as beforedescribed. But

should the draft be insufficient when the train is standing still, itcan be maintained by admittin g a jet of steam into the pipe D, beforeit enters the fire-chamber, through a pipe, 0, and, if necessary, thisjet of steam may be made a constant one.

As it is necessary that the pipes on or belonging to each car should beconnected by a fire-proof flexible coupling, I have invented one havingsuch properties, which I will now describe: No. 6 shows a section of it,and it consists of a gum or duck-a kind of clo'th tube or pipe, linedwithin with asbestus cloth, and having any suitable arrangement on bothends to connect it with the pipes.

As before stated,the producer-chamber or chambers are surrounded, asnear as can be, with a continuous water-chamber, the uses of which arethese: First, the water-chamber being full of water, it becomes thereheated before entering the boiler, as it is intended that the water tosupply the boiler, or a portion of it, is to be carried in said chamber,and all used to pass through it; second, the use of said water-chamberallows the producer to be made of metal, as the water will prevent themetal or any other suitable material from burning out.

The gas-producer, in the manner before stated, being too weak in carbonfor illuminating purposes, I enrich enough of it for such purpose byhaving a division, Y in No. 5, in the producer, wherein I use in makinggas, in combin ation with coal, thick petroleum, tar, or cannel coal,which gas is conveyed by a pipe to a condenser and purifier in thebaggage or other car, from which it is conveyed by a pipe to one or moreholders, either in one car or on different cars, from which holders itis taken to be burned for light in the cars, the couplings of said pipesbeing the same as used for the steam and heat pipes.

A producer can be made of such capacity to generate sufficient gas toproduce steam to run the train and also to illuminate the cars withoutencumbering the locomotive or train with any additional coal, or not toany great extent, than is now belonging and pertaining to a train. Thisproducer is also applicable, for the same purpose, to steam-boats,ships", and, indeed, wherever steam, heat, and light are needed, or forany one or more of said uses.

The construction and use of all apparatus herein used, and not hereafterclaimed as new of themselves, are of the ordinary kind, and familiar topersons skilled in the art or science to which this appertains.

What I claim as new and my invention is 1. In the gas-producer hereindescribed, the water-chamber W, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. The flexible pipe-coupling c D, made of gum or duck and lined withinwith asbestus cloth, substantial y as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The producer YY, gas-pipe D, locomotive fire-chamber B, andlocomotive-stack N, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The producer Y Y, heat-pipe F, and heatpipe or pipes S, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

5. Producing-chambers YY and gas-pipe E, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

JOSEPH H. OONNELLY.

I Witnesses:

J. BOONE MOLURE, J NO. MoLURE.

